The Garmin screwed up the data when it auto powered down. The GPS track is from the OruxMaps app. so only the sensors’ data (pulse, cadence) is really lost. Here’s what I remember from the Garmin before it powered off while I checked in. It is supposed to do that, and it’s usually no problem to turn it on and off during rides.

158 km
6:38 h moving time
23.8 km/h average

I started at 10:30 after repacking my bags. I moved the cooking equipment to the back and all the cold and rain gear to the front for easy access on the road. Actually, it was 11:30, since Finland is in another time zone, as it turned out. The bike computer and the phone automatically update their times, but not simultaneously – very confusing. It is also rather strange to cross another time zone while heading north.

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The sunny fun part is over. I’m in the real north now. I got up late and did the daily morning routine at a relaxed pace, knowing there’s only around 106 kilometres today.

That’s what the insects here do to your legs.

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A day of regeneration works wonders. Through the first kilometres, I thought my legs don’t feel recovered at all, but this changed quickly. In the end, I did 25 km/h on average over 165 km with that heavily packed travel bike. With 1000 height meters, it wasn’t a flat stage either.

Riding 25 instead of 20 km/h makes an hour difference in moving time for 100 km.

A last view of the Baltic Sea’s coast at the camp site before heading inland. The stage started around 11:20.

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The day after major bike failure…

I googled, read forums, checked the manuals, got some ideas via mail from a colleague, but nothing would help.

Yesterday, I got a phone number of a local bike guy from the nice lady in whose garden I currently camp.

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After breakfast around 08:00, my hosts and their friends left for a Sunday boat trip. I packed my stuff and performed some bike maintenance before leaving myself. It was already too late when I noticed that I forgot my fleece jacket in the bathroom of the now locked house. Well, I still have my bike jackets and will eventually get it back. So that’s not a real problem.

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The day started with tea and breakfast, following yesterday’s invitation. We talked a lot, and it got late. So yeah, late start again.

When I had finished packing up, I couldn’t find my bike gloves. They were still inside the now packed tent. The same thing happened with my glasses some stages earlier. While back then I unpacked the tent to recover them, I decided to ride without gloves today.

I made good progress, as yesterday. Perfect conditions again.

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The alarm was set to 07:40. Around the same time, the familiar sound of a rustling plastic bag caught my attention. But it wasn’t me causing it. Some animal had stolen the waste from the tent’s entrance area. I didn’t see it though, as the sound of me opening the zippers to get a look outside must have spooked it.

Also, the outside didn’t really look like getting up. So I got back into the tent and slowly started preparing the day by eating the first 1000 kcal.

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Finally an early start plus 8 hours of sleep. Stage set for a long stage. I wonder how weird this double use of stage is for a native speaker.

Today’s route started on my beloved E4. The plan was to use it for some kilometres to avoid a major detour. Whenever possible I would try to use nearby roads. That’s how it looked on the map, coming back from a side road onto the E4.

Well, here is reality.

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GPS track (Strava)

Got up relatively early at 08:30 and hit the road around 11:00. I still must improve my morning procedure. Although my tent neighbours, two French girls on a backpacking trip through Sweden, were only slightly faster.

I didn’t take many photos today, since I tried to avoid all the small breaks that disrupt the riding flow, and usually accumulate to some hours of non-moving time until the end of the day.

The stage’s highlight was crossing the Höga Kusten Bridge, the world’s 14th largest suspension bridge.

It is part of the E4 route, which at this area is closed for cycling. Only the bridge segment itself is open and has a side stripe usable as bike lane.

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Let’s start with some facts and numbers (including this stage).

1850 km ridden
15 riding days (two past half time)
~123 km/day average
13500 height meters

~1400 km to go
=> 12 days to go
=> ETA: 2015-08-30 (probably plus some days for unforeseen stuff, and extra km for using bike-friendly routes)

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